Can 747 break Mach 1?

The Boeing 747–400 cannot top Mach 1, capped at 988 km/h, or Mach 0.8. The plane cannot exceed Mach 1, because its engines are not fast enough to propel the aircraft forward that fast. This also has to do with the plane's aerodynamics, because it is large and has dihedral wings.



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The Boeing 747 is a large, wide-body (two-aisle) airliner with four wing-mounted engines. Its wings have a high sweep angle of 37.5° for a fast, efficient cruise speed of Mach 0.84 to 0.88, depending on the variant.

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Aided by a more powerful jet stream than usual, this rapid journey saw the 747 reach a top speed of 825 mph. Photo: Markus Mainka I Shutterstock. Popular Mechanics reports that the reason for it being so powerful on this occasion was a 'bomb cyclone' near Greenland.

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Underpowered and heavy The increased MTOW also led to problems for engine supplier Pratt& Whitney (P&W). Its innovative JT9D engine was designed to produce 41,000lb of thrust but would now need to generate an additional 1,000lb to propel the heavier 747 into the air.

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If human manoeuvre that speed Mach 1(1225 Kph), the air friction will increase the body temperature enormously. It will almost boil the body. The strange symptoms including temporary vision loss, loss of consciousness and weightlessness. The turbulence causes parts of the body swell out.

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